Reviews by SteelersX:

More User Reviews:

A: A very dark brown beer with a deep garnet hue.The head is made of compact brown bubbles that leave a fine lacing on the glass and have a long retention period.

S: Fruity, dark malt, coffee and some roast aromas from the porter blend with oak notes. There is a medium vanilla and cinnamon oak character but very little rum character in the nose.

T: The porter flavors of roast, dark malt and some coffee are much more discernible in the flavor along with the rum. The porter and oak dominate the flavor with the rum and a little bit of dark fruit supporting that. There isn't much in the way of hops flavor and a moderately-low bitterness. Some chocolate malt character is evident as it warms. The balance between the malt sweetness and bitterness is about even, maybe just slight bitter. There is a slight charcoal flavor coming out in the aftertaste but it's mostly dark malt, oak and a light fruit juiciness.

M: A creamy, soft beer with a medium-full body and a medium level of carbonation.

O: A velvety porter with roast, coffee and some chocolate layered with oak and supported with some rum making for a nicely balance beer. (1,188 characters)

This one and its cousins have been sitting in their cozy gift box in my "cellar" closet since late last year (2010). Thought they could use at least a few months in the bottle, and with a quiet night ahead...here we go...

Pours near black, dense and murky looking with no light shining through. The head is mocha, stays and stays, plenty of sheeting and thick blobs of lacing.

Pours out nearly black, dark brown highlights on the edges, a nice sized head off of the pour, decent head retention, khaki to light mocha in color. Decent lacing after a swirl of the glass, a bit of alcohol legs as well.

Initially I almost suspected infection, but as it warms this goes away. Boozey rum notes, some smoke behind the rum, campfire like, plays off one another nicely. A slightly musty barrel quality. Almost wanted a bit more complexity and intensity from the aroma.

Similar to the aroma, lots of rum qualities, some booze, but slightly more subdued than the aroma leads you to believe. Sweet, slightly spiced rum, some warming. The smoke adds a nice nuance to the rum, very slight bitter roast.

Bigger side of medium bodied. Almost expected slightly more body.

The more I drank this and it warmed and opened up, the more I enjoyed it. (929 characters)

Bottle shared by Corey – thanks! Side-by-side with the wine and brandy versions.

Pours black with a tan head that leaves decent lacing.

Smells of smooth roasted malts with a good deal of boozy rum and hints of vanilla. Also present are slight hints of smokiness.

Tastes similar to how it smells, though not as complex. Robust roasted malt flavors up front are joined by a light smokiness midway through. Near the end the rum barrel comes into play with lightly spicy rum and mild amounts of oak that carry through to a moderately bitter ending. Mouthfeel is good, with smooth carbonation.

Overall I thought this was the barrel treatment that meshed the best with the style of beer, something I don’t normally expect from rum barrels. An interesting beer that’s well worth a shot. (789 characters)

Like many Captain L brews, this one is a sipper. A small tan head on dark body, some lace dots. Creamy, particular at the end of the bottle. A little sugar on the margin, rather than any overt rum taste. So drinkability is OK, mouthfeel is very smooth.Thanks for sharing Liam. (276 characters)

Opens sweet maple syrup, roast, smoke, and burnt malt. Chocolate, anise, and cocoa powder mix in, in the middle. End is sweet with a touch of booze. Sweet chocolate, roast, and cocoa cola finish with a lingering maple and roast aftertaste. Average.

Medium bodied with ample carbonation. Prickly and aggressive in the mouth but goes down relatively smooth. Messy finish with a slightly lingering aftertaste. The body doesn't hold the flavor of this one.

This is a pretty middle-of-the-road offering. However, considering its $20, its a hard pass. Not worth the price. (924 characters)

Pours a pitch black color with a big dense light brown head which slowly disipates leaving a wall of lacing on the glass.

The aroma is of a smokey malt with a noticable sweet and sour berry scent. Notes of brown sugar round out the aroma.

A nice solid toasted pumpernickle bread, sweet sugar presence with a touch of vanilla from the rum. Substantial smoke flavor, it adds an earthy and woody presence. There is some char and wet wood as well as some sour berry.

The feel is moderate to full with prickly carbonation. There are some sweet and sour aspect to the palate but has a malty sweet overall feel.

A very woody porter. The base is quite earthy and the smoke just adds another layer. I like the vanilla and brown sugar sweetness that the rum barrels add (764 characters)

Just an exceptional beer. This is my second of the series as I had the apple brandy on a cool night as a spring chill chaser. The pour is a stickier sight with a bigger head and considerably more lace clinging to the sides of the glass. The nose has a good amount of oak and rum with a charcoal undercurrent and hits of cherry and dark fruits. A touch of chocolate and coffee with an alcohol sweetness traces of molasses. Taste is in keeping with the nose but a punchier rum presence really has you sipping with respect. A big molasses malt core flows mild vanilla with the rum and finishes with rum and mild earth. A touch of coconut in the finish gives a platform for a dark fruity melange that lingers deliciously on the palate and tongue. Feel is sticky and gently carbonated with a lightness that is somewhat surprising but not too light as this beer is a chewy one. Overall a superb brew in the series with a sugary molasses stickiness that I'm sure is due to the same found in rum. Not quite as complex as the brandy but equally delicious. (1,046 characters)

The aroma is tons of smoky wood chips very potent in the nose. The appearance is excellent, rich dark chestnut roasted black with a tan head and a nice size to boot. The flavor is a rich creamy porte with light bitter notes at the end. The body could be a bit thicker, but no bite at all for such a high ABV. (308 characters)

(750ml bottle courtesy of cuzco!). Pours black with khaki head. Aroma has loads of savory smoke, bandaid, and alcohol. Taste is sweet malt with a nice smoked flavor that accentuates any bitterness. As it warms, I’m getting quite a bit of chocolate. The rum also adds some extra sweetness along with warmth in the chest and throat. Full bodied with an oily texture. Finish is semi-dry and quite smooth. I’m happy to say that this is a beer that tastes much better than it smells. (482 characters)

Bottle: Poured a deep dark black color porter with a large dirty brown color head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma consists of roasted malt and residual sugar with some medium smokey notes and some light funky Brett notes. Taste is a very well balanced mix between some smoke notes with dry roasted malt offset by some residual sugar and light molasses notes with some notes funky Brett notes on top of this mix. Body is about average with good carbonation and alcohol is very well hidden. Rum notes provide a nice sweet edge without overpowering the rest of the flavours. Very well brewed and something I would like to drink on a regular basis. (655 characters)

A: Pours black with three fingers of brown head that recedes into a thin layer with a little lacing.

S: Lots and lots of smokey malt aromas at first--almost like a rauchbier. Aromas of vanilla, caramel, toffee, oak, and rum come out on the finish as the beer warms.

T: Similar to the aroma, this beer tastes almost like a rauchbier at first with lots of smokey, roasted malt flavors. Caramel, vanilla, oak, and rum flavors bring up the finish along with a light alcohol burn. The flavors blend surprisingly well, which I did not expect since rum is normally a sweeter liquor. Very tasty, though.

M: Medium-thick body with medium carbonation, this beer is relatively light for such a high gravity beer. The lighter body goes well with the strong smoke flavors, though.

O: I quite enjoyed this beer--it's like rum-infused bacon. I wish the smoke wasn't quite so strong to let the rum characteristics shine through a bit more, but that's a minor complaint since the beer is still delicious (if a bit pricey). (1,009 characters)

A - Poured black with a thin layer of light brown head that quickly receded to a ring around the edges of the glass.

S - A massive smoke aroma hits the nose right away and overpowers the other elements of the beer in the nose. Some oak and a hint of alcohol (rum) are present in the background.

T - The base beer and barrel aging qualities are much more integrated than the nose suggested. Smoke is still the dominant component but a big charred oak presence shows up along with an alcohol taste that must be the rum with lighter notes of spice and roast in the finish. The rum barrel aging notes are a little rough and don't seem to enhance the overall flavour profile.